Cruel Intentions (1999)
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 drama movie directed by Roger Kumble, with a running time of 1h 37m. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon.
Manhattan's richest teenagers treat seduction as sport. Kathryn Merteuil, all poise and venom, bets her stepbrother Sebastian Valmont that he cannot seduce the headmaster's virtuous daughter before summer ends. Sebastian, a practiced heartbreaker, takes the wager, though his target may cost him more than he planned. Roger Kumble transplants Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 novel of aristocratic cruelty into private-school Manhattan, all marble townhouses and cold smiles. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe lead, with Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair. A glossy, mean, late-nineties spin on a very old game of manipulation.
Quick answers
What is Cruel Intentions about?
Manhattan's richest teenagers treat seduction as sport. Kathryn Merteuil, all poise and venom, bets her stepbrother Sebastian Valmont that he cannot seduce the headmaster's virtuous daughter before summer ends. Sebastian, a practiced heartbreaker, takes the wager, though his target may cost him more than he planned. Roger Kumble transplants Choderlos de Laclos's 1782 novel of aristocratic cruelty into private-school Manhattan, all marble townhouses and cold smiles. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe lead, with Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair. A glossy, mean, late-nineties spin on a very old game of manipulation.
When was Cruel Intentions released?
Cruel Intentions was released on 5 March 1999.
How long is Cruel Intentions?
Cruel Intentions runs 1h 37m.
Who made Cruel Intentions?
Cruel Intentions was directed by Roger Kumble.
Where can I watch Cruel Intentions?
Cruel Intentions is available on Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, Amazon Freevee, Hoopla and Kanopy.
Where to watch Cruel Intentions
Stream: Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video
Watch free: Amazon Freevee, Hoopla, Kanopy, The Roku Channel
Rent: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Buy: Amazon, AppleTV, Fandango at Home
Cast
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kathryn Merteuil
- Ryan Phillippe as Sébastian Valmont
- Reese Witherspoon as Annette Hargrove
- Selma Blair as Cecile Caldwell
- Louise Fletcher as Helen Rosemond
- Joshua Jackson as Blaine Tuttle
- Eric Mabius as Greg McConnell
- Sean Patrick Thomas as Ronald Clifford
- Swoosie Kurtz as Dr. Greenbaum
- Christine Baranski as Bunny Caldwell
- Alaina Reed Hall as Nurse
- Deborah Offner as Mrs. Michalak
Similar movies
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A few thoughts on Cruel Intentions
The 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons plays the same story straight in powdered-wig French court, the source scheme without the teen gloss. The film's soundtrack, anchored by The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, became its own artifact. On television, the Manhattan intrigue carries on in Gossip Girl.
Elite social circles where seduction becomes a power play
Kathryn and Sebastian treat seduction as a wager with real stakes, and these stories share that cold calculation. Gossip Girl, The Crush, Notes on a Scandal, Unfaithful, and Lonely Hearts all show charm used as a tool for control rather than affection, where getting someone to fall is the actual goal.
Adult affairs that turn desire into a quiet power struggle
Cruel Intentions turns a private arrangement into a battle for control, and these adult dramas play out the same quiet war. Damage, Little Children, Eyes Wide Shut, Crash, and Entre sábanas each follow a marriage or affair where desire becomes leverage, and every private choice reshapes who holds the power.
Psychological games where losing costs everything
Sebastian and Kathryn's wager plays like a private game with no rules, and these stories go further into that territory. Liar Game, Kaiji, The Rose of Versailles, Matahari, and Fair Play each strip a relationship or contest down to strategy, bluffing, and the price of losing control.